Tom Ewart Smith
SPANISH students are increasingly turning to Formación Profesional (FP), or vocational training in English.
In a country where young people have historically struggled with employment, FP provides them with practical skills that employers value.
As of July 2024, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate (percentage of the total labour force aged 15-24) in Spain was 25.5%.
The average for EU member countries was 14.5%, and only Sweden had a higher rate of 25.6%.
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Young Spaniards are looking towards FP, instead of university degrees, to avoid becoming part of these statistics.
A study carried out in June 2024 by Fad Juventud y Fundación Gestamp found that, in 2015-16, 765,460 students were enrolled in vocational training across three levels: Básico, Medio, and Superior.
This number rose to 1,081,063 by 2022-23, with 4,000 centres offering FP courses during the same academic year.
Vocational training is positively viewed by 59% of Spaniards aged 16 to 29.
Its popularity stems from its high employability rates.
The report shows that more than 50% of FP graduates secure a job within six months of completing their training.
Nearly half of the young people surveyed believe FP offers better job opportunities than a university degree.
This marks a shift in perception, where university education is no longer seen as the only superior route into the labour market.
Despite this growth, FP enrolment in Spain remains below the European average.
The report states that 39.2% of secondary school students in Spain opted for vocational training, compared to 49% across the EU.
